Children of Extraordinary Circumstances
by LilithJoy
Summary: Past events have led Bella to live the life of a bon voyage with the only person she's ever been able to trust, her Uncle James. When her Father wants her back, she moves in with his new family. And meets a man who makes her feel so wrong, yet so right...
1. Bon Voyage, Happiness

_The wind was quickening and sprinkles of water rained down from the sky. I gripped her hand tightly as we walked carefully down the hill, down to the river. Her eyes were tight and her back was rigid. I tried to wrap my arms around her waist so she would stop walking, but she hissed at me and sped up._

"_Momma?" I asked, frightfully. "Momma, what are we doing?"_

"_What we need to do." She answered, cryptically. "Don't you trust me, Isa?"_

_I nodded, feeling a little bit of comfort in my childhood nickname. We stopped at the edge of the river that was flowing more quickly than usual. Momma suddenly bent down and ripped the music note from my neck and gripped it in her hand. I gasped and looked up at her with wide eyes. "Momma!"_

"_Hush, hush," She whispered, looking up at the sky. "It's time, Isa."_

_I let go of her hand stepped back, trying to go back up the hill, discreetly. "Time for what? Momma, I'm scared. You're scaring me."_

_Momma looked at me and shook her head. Her usually bright, inquisitive blue eyes were flat. "Come to Momma, Isa. Come hug your Momma."_

_I was wet from the rain and slipped in forming puddle of mud. She came forward and picked me up with ease. Momma was strong, I thought for a fleeting moment. But as she swung me up in her arms, she whispered some unintelligible to the sky. I whimpered and squirmed to get out of her arms, resorting to kicking her in the side. She let out a sharp breath and I tumbled to water's edge, where I struggled to get on my feet. I stepped shakily over rocks in a vain attempt at escaping, but I felt to strong arms envelope me. I tried to scream, but Momma clamped her hand over my mouth._

"_Hush, Isa, darling." She murmured. "This is for your own good."_

_I bit her hand as hard as I could, but she held my nose until I had to let go for air. I gasped and trembled, screaming for anyone to help me. Momma clucked her tongue and held me down by my shoulders at the edge of the water. I felt myself slipping down and I knew if she pushed me down any harder, I would go in. I felt tears mix with the rain as Momma stared into my eyes, intently. "You're going to a better place, Isa. Are you ready?"_

_I yelped and let out a sob, shaking my head at her. "No, Momma, no. What better place? I don't want to go, Momma! Momma! Momma!"_

_She kept hold of my shoulders and pushed me backwards so that my head was under water. It rushed around me and pulled my hair in all different directions, blocking my vision of the world. I kicked and clawed at her, but I was so little. And she was Momma. I couldn't breathe and my vision was blurring around the edges. Momma was chanting something and concentrating on the sky. I didn't want to open my mouth for fear water would fill my lungs. I didn't think I could go much longer, when a weakness started to overwhelm me. Momma looked back down at me and smiled, softly. It was hard to make out, but she mouthed something down to me. Everything was going dark. What did she say? And as the whole world went black, it became clear what she said._

_Heaven. _

_I was going to Heaven. _

I woke up in a cold sweat. I was panting and the air felt heavy around me as I shot up in bed. I looked around, taking in my surroundings and calming slightly when it was clear that I was safe. I wasn't in Phoenix, I thought. Dear God, I'm not in Phoenix. I glanced over at the bed to my right as I caught my breath. He was sleeping soundly, his chest rising and falling in an even pattern. At least someone was getting sleep around here. I kicked the blankets off of me and padded silently into the kitchenette at my left. I stumbled a bit until I reached the refrigerator, before opening it in search of something to comfort me. Frustration became apparent in my system when I saw that all we had were olives and milk. I pulled the milk out of the door and guzzled it straight from the carton. A low light flicked on behind me and I didn't bother to turn around. I knew I would eventually wake him up.

"Nightmare?" He guessed, pulling himself up to sit down on one of the unfamiliar stools that surrounded the island. I raised an eyebrow and swallowed the milk I had in my mouth, before closing the carton and sticking it back in the refrigerator door. I wiped the milk from my upper lip and went to sit down next to him. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder rubbed my arm like a parent. If only.

"It was so real this time," I shivered. "It felt like I was there again. Under water."

He soothingly shushed me, pulling me tighter into his arms. "They'll go away soon enough. You know they always get worse in the summertime."

"It's been nine years and two months," I murmured. "Nine years ago my Mother tried to kill me. That's certainly an anniversary to celebrate."

He kissed my forehead. "Don't think about it so much. We've gotten through this before; we'll get through it again."

"I hate this cycle, James." I whispered. "I just want to forget."

James pulled me into his lap like he used to when I was a child. I accepted the gesture, willingly. "You'll never forget, Bella. When you come to grips with that, you'll start to get better. I promise you."

I let my head stay on his chest. He was the only person I had ever come to trust and in this tiny hole of a hotel room, in his warm arms, I felt at home. This was my home. I finally sighed after a few minutes of silence and pulled away from him. "Will you tell me who was on the phone today?"

I sat across from him now, on the other stool again. His eyes were the same shade of blue as his sister, but they were bloodshot and framed by faint purple bruises. I had been keeping him awake far too long. "I'll tell you in the morning. We'll go to breakfast. Café des Phares?"

I smiled, gently and nodded. "Do you promise?"

He chuckled and stood up, stretching out his arms. "_Oh, ma nièce peu. Vous aurez juste à avoir la foi._

He walked over to his bed and yawned, lifting up the covers. He noticed me eyeing my bed and biting my lip in the doorway. He cocked an eyebrow at me, knowingly. "You want to sleep with me tonight?"

I nodded, gratefully. I ran over to the bed and jumped in next to him. He turned off the lamp next to us and looked at me with the eyes of a concerned parent. "You know I'm always here for you, right, Bella? No matter what country we're in, no matter what language we're speaking and no matter who we're with. I'll always love you."

I didn't like the tone of his voice. "Of course I know that, James. You're the only one that's ever been there for me. And you're the only one I'm ever going to trust. Why are you talking like this?"

He shook his head, blonde curls bouncing on the pillow. "Just get some sleep, sweets. Things are going to look better tomorrow."

As I fell asleep next to my eternal protector, I heard him mumble something else.

"God, I hope things look better tomorrow."

* * *

We walked the streets of Paris like giddy little children. We'd been here for about six months now, but the excitement never really wears off. On the corner near our shabby hotel, there was a beautiful café that we ate lunch at every morning at promptly eight o'clock. We sat down at our usual table in the sun and our waitress approached us with a sly smile. I watched Uncle James shift before my eyes. He wasn't an Uncle at the moment. He was a man.

"_Bonjour, James. Vous cherchez beau aujourd'hui." _Our waitress, Emilie, giggled as she ran a hand through his hair. She saw me watching cautiously and dropped her hand in embarrassment. _"Bonjour, Bella."_

"_Bonjour, Emilie. Voir un objet qui que vous plaît?" _I teased, nudging James with my knee. He gave her his best smile and winked. I rolled my eyes. He thought he was such a ladies' man.

"_Vous cherchez comestibles ainsi, Emilie. L'habituel?" _He responded, effectively dismissing her. Her smile faltered, but she kept her expression like a sport.

"_Tout de suite." _She said before scurrying away. When she was out of hearing range, I gave him a dubious look. He played innocent, switching back over to my playful Uncle.

"What's that look for?" He demanded. I huffed.

"I wish you wouldn't do that to her." I told him. "She's mad for you, James."

He shrugged, looking at the road. "I don't date, Bella. I have you."

I rolled my eyes. "Well, way to make me feel like a thorn in your side."

His head shot up and shook his head. "You know that's not what I meant."

"What did you mean?" I asked, quietly. He sighed.

"I meant," He ran a hand over his hair, fixing it. "That I'm happy with you. Why do I need a girlfriend when I have the best friend in the world at my side?"

"That's not normal," I argued. "Then again, what do I know about normal?"

James picked up a menu, most likely needing to do something with his hands. "New subject?"

I nodded. "Please."

"Do you still want to know who called last night?" He asked, almost reluctantly. I perked up. I had nearly forget about it.

"Oh, yeah," I said, tilting my head to the side. "Was it Laurent? Last time I heard from him, he was in Nice, but I'm sure we could go a little out of our way."

He closed his eyes. "It was your Father."

I froze. "Charlie?"

He opened his eyes and they were sarcastic. "No, you're other Father."

I relaxed little as Emilie silently came over to the table and placed my tea down in front of me. "Why would he call? Is it a holiday or something?"

He sucked in a sharp breath. "No, actually…he wanted to speak with me about…visiting."

I was cautious. "Well, his birthday is coming up, right? I guess we could fly back to the states for a few days and celebrate with him. He must be lonely out there all by himself."

James shook his head, slowly. "No, Bella, not _us_ visiting. He wants you to visit."

I felt panic creep up. I hadn't more than a few feet away from James in nine years. I gulped. "For how long? Will it interfere with our plans for Australia? I don't want to disappoint Kate; we haven't seen her in two whole years."

He took my hands in his. "Charlie wants you to stay with him until you turn eighteen, Bella. There...I said it."

My mouth fell open. "He wants me to stay with him for a whole year? You're fucking with me!"

I started to stand up, but he pulled me back down to stop the scene I was essentially creating. "I told him I'd talk to you about it. Technically, he could legally force you to go with him. You're still a child to the courts."

I slumped down on the table with my head in my arms. "I haven't been a child for nine years, James. I want to stay right here with you. Why does he want me now?"

I peeked up through my hair at him. He shrugged. "He said he wanted another chance at being a Father to you. I guess having step children has opened his eyes. It's probably awakened some gruesome feelings."

I ran a hand through my hair. "Since when does he have step children?"

James smiled at me, knowingly. "We got an _e-vite _to the wedding last Christmas, remember?"

I mumble. "We probably ignored it because it was an e-vite in the first place. That's like saying 'Well, I don't want you to be there enough to actually call you, but I guess there's a slight possibility that I might want my daughter to see me walk down the aisle.' Besides, last Christmas we were in Spain with Carmen and Eleazer."

He gave me sad eyes. "He's scared, just like you, Bella. How do you think he feels, having a complete stranger as a daughter?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "That's not my fault."

He nodded, agreeing with me. "You're right. It's his fault. But he's trying to do the right thing by you and I applaud that. I really think you should let the idea bounce around for a few days. You'll see part of the states you've never seen before."

My eyes were pleading. "James, I don't want to go there. I don't want to be anywhere that…_she_, has been. I'm just…I'm not prepared for that."

I must've looked pitiful, because he spread jam over a croissant and handed it to me, forcefully. I nibbled on it. "Don't you want to know you're Dad just a little?"

"He's not my Dad," I looked up at him through my lashes. "You are."

James smiled at me, softly. "Ain't that the truth?" He murmured.

I shook my head, taking a large bite of my croissant. "I don't understand. Why didn't he just call me?"

"Because he knows I can make anything sound appealing." He chuckled, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Monkey brain in China." I recalled, mood lightening now that he was playful.

"Grasshoppers in Mexico," He laughed. "Now, I drew the line at Yak penis in Beijing."

"You made me eat that rat in Thailand though." I pouted, childishly. "You won't eat Yak, but you'll eat a rat?"

He snickered, before holding his hands up. "In all seriousness. Will you think about it?"

I nodded, solemnly. "To the best of my ability. That's not saying that my ability is the best."

He smirked. "Touché, my dear. Now…what do you say we pay our good friend Laurent a little visit?"

* * *

After a long day of touring and eating with Uncle James and Laurent, we made it back to our hotel room late. James fell on to his bed and immediately fell into a deep sleep, clothes and all. I smiled, wrapping a warm blanket around him, before taking his cell phone out of his pocket and locking myself in the bathroom. It's sad I don't know my own Father's number. Then again, I've never had anything to say to him. I sat down on the edge of the tub and bit my lower lip, finger hovering over the call button. I finally worked up my nerve and jammed my thumb down on it, lifting it slowly up to my ear. It rang for a total of three times and just as I thought voicemail was going to kick in, someone answered.

"Hello?" A soft, feminine voice answered. I gulped, not only swallowing the lump in my throat, but also my pride. I might not know my Dad from Adam, but he was still my biological Father. Knowing that he didn't want me my entire childhood, but he would just adopt this woman's children kind of twisted the knife in my side a little deeper.

"Hi," I responded, putting together all my courage. "Is, um, Charlie Swan there?"

There was a pause and a crackle, but when she came back, she was pleasant. "No, not at the moment, I'm sorry. May I ask whose calling?"

I felt tears prick in my eyes. "My name is Bella Swan. I'm his…I'm his, well, daughter."

There was silence. I heard her breathing intensify. "Charlie!"

There was a voice in the background. I closed my eyes, feeling a small tear trickle down my cheek. Could I talk to him? Should I wake up James? The woman's voice grew softer but took on a higher pitch, "Charlie, it's your daughter. You're daughter is calling, you're daughter is calling!"

The phone was obviously snatched away from her because a gruff voice sounded in my ear, "Bella?"

I took a deep breath. "Hi, Charlie."

He was quiet for a moment. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, I guess," I mumbled, giving a small, almost hysterical laugh. "Word through the grapevine is that you want me to come live with you."

He inhaled, sharply. "You're Uncle filled you in then, huh?"

I wiped my eye. "Yeah, he did. And frankly, I have to tell you…I'm not too thrilled about it."

He grumbled. "Listen, I know this is awkward for both of us. But Esme and I were talking and…"

"Esme?" I cut in.

"My wife," He muttered. "And, anyway, we decided that it would be nice if you came to stay in Washington with us until your birthday. I'd like to get to know you better."

I climbed into the bathtub and stared up at the ceiling. "Charlie, as far as I'm concerned, this is the best we'll ever know each other. And I'm perfectly okay with that. I'm doing great with James as it is."

Charlie sighed. "I regret not taking you in when I had the chance, Isa…"

"It's Bella!" I snapped, before taking a breath and quieting down. I listened for Uncle James's snoring before I spoke again. "I haven't been Isa in a really long time, Charlie."

He cleared his throat. "Well, _Bella_, I'd really like to see you. It doesn't even have to be for a whole year. It could just be for a few months, if you'd like. Please?"

I contemplated this. "I suppose, I could…well, I'll stay for a few months. But I'm calling James every day."

I could hear the elation in his voice. "That's great, Bella! Esme and the kids will be so excited."

It was my turn to clear my throat. "Yeah, James told me you had step kids now."

He turned sheepish. "I have three, actually."

Three? Well, that beat the one real kid sitting in the bathtub. "How old are they? And are they boys or are they girls? Or are there both?"

He snorted, almost like a small laugh. "It's two boys and a girl. The oldest is nineteen, then the middle is seventeen and the youngest is fifteen. Emmett, Edward and Alice are their names."

I breathed deeply. "Well, that's just…that's just great, Charlie. I guess we'll hammer out the details tomorrow then? It's getting kind of late over here. I-I'm tired."

"Yeah, yeah, of course." He paused. "Where are you guys' right now, anyway?"

"Paris." I answered, feebly. "Goodnight, Charlie."

He responded, his voice stronger than before. "Goodnight, Bella. I…I'll see you soon."

I hung up and set down the phone on the rug in next to the shower. The lump was creeping up in my throat and I let it have its way with me. Tears flowed, but I stayed silent through them as not to wake James. I'd been keeping him up a lot lately and he didn't need another sleepless night. All I could think of as I cried was…

Did he tell _those _kids that he loved them?

* * *

_Bonjour, James. Vous cherchez beau aujourd'hui- _Hello, James. You look handsome today.

_Bonjour, Emilie. Voir un objet qui que vous plaît- _Hello, Emilie. See something you like?

_Vous cherchez comestibles ainsi, Emilie. L'habituel- _You're looking edible, as always, Emilie. The usual.

_Tout de suite- _Right away.

**I hope you liked the first chapter. It was something I wrote a while ago, but I've decided to continue it, seeing as how I have no other ideas. I pulled inspiration from the book Breathe My Name by R.A Nelson. If you've read it, you know what I'm talking about. If you don't, then you're probably confused. If so, google it. Reviews would probably make me update faster, just for the record. Kay? Kay.**


	2. Count On My Love

"Are you ready to go?"

I looked up at James, sadly. "Am I ready to go? No. Not in the least bit."

He hugged me, lightly as he drove. "It'll be fine. Charlie said I could stay with you tonight, remember? And I'll stay the whole day tomorrow."

I mumble. "It won't be the same."

He turned down the radio. "Think of it as a new adventure. It's no different than being in Australia or England or India. You're in a new culture."

"A new culture?" I asked, incredulously. "I was born here. I spent the first eight years of my life here."

He shook his head. "You've never had a family before."

I felt small. "I have you."

He ruffled my hair, trying to lighten the mood. "And as entertaining as I am, it'll still be nice to get a little time in with your Dad."

"I don't even know him, James. I've talked to him…what? A total of ten times in my entire life?" I guessed, gripping my backpack against me. "And I don't know these kids. You know how kids don't like me."

He nodded, slowly. "They don't like you because you intimidate them."

"Intimidate them, yeah right." I grumbled, sarcastically. "Because I'm _such_ a winner."

He stopped at a stoplight and gave me his signature eye. "You are a winner, sweets. Think about it! You're beautiful, you're smart, and you're talented…"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm also socially awkward and emotionally fucked."

"You are not emotionally fucked," He argued, half heartedly. "You're just…hard to read. And you don't have a lot of…sympathy."

I snorted as we started driving again. James taped the directions to his window and glanced at them, periodically. I vaguely remembered a small, run down house in the middle of this rinky dink town, but we turned off on a dirt road. I quizzically looked at my surroundings, while James grumbled from his spot behind the wheel. The road was bumpy and I hit my head on the roof quite a few times. He tried to hold on to my shoulders and steer at the same time, but on this road, it was nearly impossible. The road finally smoothed out and he whistled.

"Who knew your Father was Grizzly Goddamn Adams?" He muttered, turning again. We approached a large white house I the midst of the woods. I wasn't sure how large a home had to be to be considered a mansion, but this house was on the cusp. It was very The Shining-esque. I shivered at the thought and huddled closer to James. The air was cold and the heat didn't work in the car we rented. My cheeks felt numb and there were goose bumps on my arms. As we pulled into the paved driveway, I saw a silhouette of a man and a woman on the porch. My stomach jumped into my throat and I had to force it back down.

"Is that him?" I whispered. James squinted and turned off the engine.

"It's hard to tell." He answered. "I think it is. I recognize the haircut. He looks like Willy Wonka, for fuck's sake."

I snickered and slowly followed James, climbing out of the car. I had a duffel bag and a backpack in the trunk, so I hid behind James as he popped the trunk and swung both bags over his shoulders. I continued to mouse around, following behind him on our way up to the porch. The man, Charlie and the woman met us halfway on the steps. I peeked around his shoulder and shuddered when I saw that goatee. An image of that goatee rubbing against my cheek as a little girl filled my head and I shoved it back down, rather abruptly. James pulled me forward and wrapped his arm around me, his hand smoothing down my sleeve. I took a deep breath and the woman smiled, brightly at me, before stepping forward with her arms extended.

"Oh, Isa," Her voice was warm and breathy. "It's so wonderful to meet you."

I froze. She called me Isa. Did I not make myself perfectly clear on the phone? I was Bella. Bella, Bella, Bella. James obviously sensed my discomfort and touched my hair, before speaking up. "It's Bella, actually. She goes by Bella now."

Esme didn't look the least bit taken back with his harsh tone. It was then that I realized he was just as upset about this arrangement as I was. It never occurred to me that James was dependant on me, the same way I was dependant on him. Neither of us had been alone in over nine years. We were stuck like glue, attached at the hip. I hugged him tightly, before taking his hand and stepping forward. They both probably found our affection odd, but it was comforting. I never grew out of it. They could call it what they wanted , but if it made me feel better, you could bet I had no plans to stop it. There were very few things in this world that made me happy. I held on to the things that did.

"Bella, of course." She corrected herself. "Really, you're Father has talked my ear off about you. I'm Esme."

She pulled me into an awkward hug. I stayed rigid and eventually, she got the hint and let go. "It's nice to meet you…Esme."

She looked pleased I actually said something in response. Charlie looked between James and I, before waving his hand towards the front door. "Well, let's go on inside."

"Sounds peachy." James muttered, loud enough for everyone to hear, but soft enough for it to feel personally meant for me. I followed Charlie and Esme into the house, with James practically wrapped around me like a snake.

"You must be exhausted from your flight," Esme started, sitting down on the couch, motioning for us to take a seat as well. "And starved, I'm sure. Airplane food always leaves something to be desired."

She gave a little tinkling laugh and I grimaced. "I'm actually pretty used to jet lag. We're on planes and shit a lot."

James elbowed me in the side, lightly. I had a bad habit of using profanity when I was nervous or excited. It was just like my filter stopped working and I said everything on my mind. Esme's mouth formed a little 'o' and Charlie cleared his throat. "We're really happy to have you here, Is- Bella."

"I'm not so happy to be here." I answered, without thinking. James choked on air. Like I said, the filter was taking five.

"What she means is," James cut in, taking a deep, exasperated breath. "This is a big change."

Esme shook her head, sadly. "Well, of course. I imagine this must be very hard for you, sweetheart."

Charlie nodded, uncomfortably in agreement. "We just thought it would be best if we got some…time with you. Before, you know…college and stuff."

"Right." I muttered. "So glad. I wish I had some say in this."

There was a deep, awkward silence for a moment, before Esme clapped her hands together. "We made up your room for you last night, Bella. My daughter, Alice, arranged everything. You can change it however you like, we just thought-"

"Just for the record," I cut in, snippily. "I'm not some prissy, over exaggerating teenage girl. So, don't expect me to wail about bad hair days and squeal about boy bands. I'm not into that shit. Got it?"

Esme looked at Charlie, at a loss. He froze for a moment, before shaking his head. "We just want you to be as comfortable as possible here, Bella."

"Comfortable," James repeated. "Hear that, sweets?"

"Get comfortable. At the top of my list of things to do. You know, right after stopping myself from gauging someone's eyes out."

Esme and Charlie looked at each other, expectantly. James rested his chin on my head, refusing to control me the way they probably expected him to. James taught me that speaking my mind was the only way to keep it from collapsing into a steaming pile of mush inside my head.

"It's not that bad here, Bella," Esme finally said, quietly. "I promise."

I looked at the ground, refusing to believe a word of what they said. "Whatever. Where are the…others?"

They seemed pleased to have moved on to happier conversation. "Alice is sleeping over at a friend's house tonight and Edward is on his way home. He goes to Washington University, but he's home for the summer. I'm not sure where Emmet is though. He should be home any minute now."

"It's Friday night, Esme." Charlie chuckled, quietly. "That boy is drinking himself into oblivion. No doubt on my mind."

"I would be." I piped in. "In this town? You can bet I'm going to be tipping back a few. Sound familiar, Charlie?"

"My God, woman," James whispered in my ear. "Get a grip."

Charlie stood up. "I something burning? I smell something burning." He walked off, quickly, into the kitchen. I looked at the ground.

"I scared him off." I said, smirking. Esme shook her head, quickly.

"He's just a little nervous, is all." She said, apologetically. "This is new for him too, keep that in mind."

We stayed quiet. It felt like hours before Esme stood up and smiled, politely. She excused herself to the kitchen to check on Charlie. When she was clearly out of sight, James swiveled out from under me and kneeled down on the floor. He was directly in front of me, eyes locked. He hadn't done this in years. It was a technique usually used for children, but in many ways, I suppose I had the same emotional solidity as a small child. As a seven year old. I shudder at the thought.

"Bella," He said. His voice was low. "You have to calm down."

"Calm down?" I demanded. "I can't find calm, James. I'm looking for it and it seems like every time I open a door, expecting to see it there, another burst of anxiety hits me and I start to panic and…"

"Word vomit." He finished, understandingly. "I know, I'm very familiar with it. But this is like word _projectile vomit_."

I scoffed. "It's not that bad."

He raised an eyebrow. "You basically just told your recovering alcoholic of a Father that you couldn't wait to drown yourself in booze. And then insinuated he would know the feeling."

I grimaced. "Well, he would."

James closed his eyes. "Try for me, Bella. Just give it a try."

I touched his eyelids, like I used to as a child. "You know? I think you just might be my hero."

He opened his eyes, grinning, sloppily. "Oh, yeah?"

I shrugged. He chuckled and rested his head in my lap. "Well, you know what? You just might be my hero too."

My voice cracks. "I love you, Uncle James."

His voice is small. Sad. "Kid, you have no idea."

A throat is cleared in the doorway and James gets to his feet. Esme is standing there, her hand in Charlie's. He wears a look of discomfort, while her expression is sympathetic. It angers me, because I don't need her pity. I've gotten enough of that over the years. James sits back down next to me. I put my head on his shoulder as Esme and Charlie take their seats on the couch. They're in close proximity, I notice. I make him uncomfortable. The knowledge makes me giddy.

"I hope you like Chinese." Esme said, cheerfully. "We ordered enough to feed an army."

"We weren't sure what you liked. " Charlie added, quietly.

"_任何事，除了猴子__."_I said, quickly. James smirked in my direction. Charlie and Esme looked taken back. "Anything but monkey."

Esme laughed, politely. Charlie looked like he was about to pass about. James looked between us and it seemed as though a light went off over his head. "Would you like some help setting the table, Esme?" He asked, standing up. She looked flattered.

"Well, thank you, James." She smiled, brightly. "That's very sweet of you."

They both disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Charlie and I seated in the living room. We both stared at the ground for a long time, before he got the nerve to speak. "Have you heard from her?" He asked, softly.

I knew who he was talking about. I wrapped my arms around myself and closed my eyes. "If you invited me here hoping to relive some of your twisted youth with her, then you can just-"

"No, no, Bella." He said, reaching over to touch my shoulder. I shied away. His hand dropped, pathetically. "I invited you here because…I mean, seeing Esme with the kids, it makes me…it makes me want to know you, Bella. It makes me want to know you so, so much."

I nodded, slowly. "I should probably go see if I can help." I announced, quietly. I stood up and walked to the entrance to the kitchen, when I heard him whisper something behind me.

"I had no idea you spoke Chinese." His voice was barely audible.

I stopped. "There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Charlie. Let's see if we can change that."

* * *

"That wasn't so bad." James said, padding across the floor to get into bed. He wore a pair of baggy sweatpants and a crisp gray tee shirt. You could say James was an attractive man. Often times we've been mistaken for lovers, and often times, we might look lovers. But people have to understand, James is my life line. He is the only thing that has kept me from putting a shot gun in my mouth for the past nine years. The places he's taken me, the things he's shown me, the people he's introduced me to…it's made me who I am today. Someone who just wants to put her past behind her and have a normal life, with a man that I love in a place that I adore. I really don't think that's so much to ask, considering what life handed me in the earlier years.

"What dinner were you at?" I snorted. He rolled his eyes and pulled back the covers. I was in front of the closet, hanging things up with the neat, blue hangers arranged neatly in a line. The room was much more modest than I'd expected and I was embarrassed to say, I didn't mind it. But it just wasn't me. It wasn't us. I had to make it feel like us. The room was painted a creamy gold color, almost white. The bed was red, with black swirls all over it, like a hypnotist's tool. Other than that, it was honestly very boring. This Alice girl must be odd. To be honest, I was secretly hoping she was weirder than me. But I knew that could never happen.

"It was nice," He insisted. "Charlie relaxed, Esme was sweet…you weren't quite as hysterical."

I finished hanging up all my clothes and grabbed one of my other bags, heading into the bathroom to arrange my shampoo and other toiletries. I hated the word toiletries, I thought. It was so formal and stuffy sounding. I decided then that I would never use the word toiletries again. I would call it Soaps N'Junk. That sounds much, much better.

"She was so generic." I complained, raising my voice so he could hear me. I had no worries that they would overhear. My bedroom was on the third floor, all by itself; expect for another bedroom at the end of the hall, that I was told belonged to Edward. For a fleeting moment, I wondered if I could actually get some decent sex out of this whole, terrible experience. It gave me just a glimmer of hope. Sex was something I tended to cling to these days. As I got older, it became abundantly clear that we needed a little bit of space sometimes, so it was agreed that once a month, we would split up and get laid. It was never officially stated, but it was just a routine. It made me spiral into a deep, inner depression thinking about how my routine was no more. "I mean, she asked me about school. I finished school, like, what? Three years ago?"

I could hear him squirming to get comfortable. "Well, most seventeen year olds aren't geniuses."

I grumbled. "I'm not a genius, I'm just determined. There's a big difference."

"Still," He sighed. "You're a smarty, my dear."

"Hardy har har." I muttered, coming out to grab my pajamas, before going back in to change. "You know what was funny, though? Their faces when we told them we were sharing a bed."

"That was not funny," He snapped. "They made me feel like a pedophile or something."

I tied my hair back in a loose ponytail and walked out into the bedroom, and turning off the light, before crawling into bed. The bedside lamp was on still, so I could see the newly formed worry lines on his face. His hair was disheveled and I stared at the tattoo covering his bicep. It hurt my entire body to know I was going to be without my rock, my hero, my _best friend _for almost an entire year. As if he could read my mind, he touched my cheek and smiled, sadly.

"I'll be back for Christmas." He announced. "And your birthday and Thanksgiving and Easter and-"

"Tell me you love me." I whimpered. "Tell me you'll miss me."

"Oh, Bella," He whispered, hugging me close to him. "_I love you. _I will miss you like crazy, sweets. You should know that."

"I do, I do." I sniffled. "I just need to hear it."

"It's not going to be the same without you, sugar." He murmured, running his hand through my hair. I'm going crazy just thinking about leaving you here."

I sat up. "Then let's leave. They're asleep, we'll just sneak out!"

He took my face in both hands. Tears flowed down my cheeks and I blubbered like a baby. "You'll regret it, baby, believe me. If I could go back and do it over…I would give anything to go back and give your Mother the help she needed when she asked for it. I didn't and it hurt you. I will never forgive myself for that."

I shook my head. "Don't leave me."

He looked me square in the eye and nearly growled, "I will never leave you."

And it took everything I had to believe him.

Because I knew that the next day, he'd walk out the door.

And out of my life.

* * *

_任何事，除了猴子__- _Anything but monkey.

**First and second chapter knocked out in one night. I have to say, I'm proud of myself. Positive feedback would be great. Negative feedback is also appreciated, but c'mon. We all know which one I'm hoping for. Review, people.**


	3. Beginning of the End

The next morning, the smell of bacon frying in a pan woke me up. The bed was cold, which meant James was already downstairs, stuffing his face. I rolled my eyes and walked down stairs, not bothering to check myself in the mirror or go pee. I followed the smell all the way down, but when I heard two unfamiliar voices in the kitchen, I froze. I tried to bolt back up the stairs, but James must have heard me.

"Bella!" He called, sharply. "Don't be chicken shit. Get in here."

I grumbled under my breath and padded into the kitchen. He was wearing a bathrobe and was reading the newspaper at the kitchen table, a plate of bacon and eggs in front of him. I sneered in his direction, picking his juice up off the table and taking a swig. I downed orange juice like I downed booze. Hard and with my eyes closed.

"Well aren't you just the picture of domesticity." I scoffed at him. "What, the dog didn't fetch your slippers for you?"

The girl sitting at the counter giggled, but Esme just turned to give me a warm, forgiving smile. "We don't have a dog, dear." The joke went right over her head. Like, zoom. Right over.

"You must be Isa." The girl at the counter chirped, taking a dainty bite of her toast. "I'm Alice."

I ground my teeth together. "Bully for you. Who the fuck told you my name was Isa?"

She looked taken back. "Um, Charlie-"

"My rule of thumb," I told her in a low voice, leaning on the counter. "Don't believe a word Charlie says. Ever."

"I'm Emmett." The burly teenage boy sitting next to her introduced himself. "Good to meet you…um…."

"Bella." I provided. "My name is Bella."

"Alice and Emmett are my children, from my first marriage." Esme explained. "We're all so thrilled to have you here, Bella. Truly, we are."

"You've got that right, Mom." Emmett agreed, his mouth full of Cocoa Puffs. He looked me up and down. "Whoo."

I snickered and stared him down. "Let me guess? Captain of the Varsity football team, 3.0 GPA; you could have a 4.0, but you spend just a little too much time fumbling around with your girlfriend in the backseat of your car."

He blushed. Alice looked bewildered.

"Where's Edward?" Esme asked her other two children, obviously changing the subject. James took a bite of his toast and crumbs flew out of his mouth as he grinned at me, cheekily. I pulled his arm hair and he winced. I snickered and turned to listen to the conversation between Esme and her kids.

"He called this morning to say he made a little _detour_." Emmett informed her, waggling his eyebrows. Alice cringed and looked at me apologetically.

"Just as long as we're being honest," She started, looking perturbed. "My brother is a bit of a whore."

I appreciated that she was being truthful, even if it was at the expense of someone else. I may have skipped the entire high school experience, but that didn't stop me from finding out how incredibly petty, mean and judgmental girls could be. "Well, just as long as we're being honest," I grinned. "So am I."

James let out a barking laugh. Esme frowned at this particular topic of conversation and I'm not ashamed to say, it made me feel all warm and tingly inside. I didn't know why exactly, but I didn't want to be anything but displeasing to this woman. Maybe because she wasn't my Mother. Maybe because she loved my Father, even though he was a dirt bag alcoholic who left his wife and child in the dust. Maybe because she wasn't my Mother. Maybe because she was gorgeous, warm and motherly, everything his first wife was not. Maybe because she wasn't my Mother. Funny, how in the big picture, everything always seemed to come back to my Mother. It made me want to bang my head against this stupid antique table. Because, in the big picture, I honestly didn't have a Mother. I had something much better. I looked slyly towards James. He was like a protective father, an immature best friend, and ultra cool big brother, a fun uncle and a loving mother all rolled into one. I then noticed Charlie wasn't seated in this big circle of awkward revelations.

"Um," I took a sip of orange juice. It made me think back to when I was nine and I got roped into drinking a whole carton of orange juice by some friends, and I threw it all up in the backseat of our rental car, while James held my car. I set the glass down, quickly. "Where's Charlie?"

Alice and Emmett exchanged looks, obviously noting I did not call him Dad, Daddy, Papa, Padre or Father. He was Charlie. And nothing else. Esme seemed delighted that I was actually taking an interest in his whereabouts and filled me in. "He goes to work around six every morning, and gets off around seven in the evening. He's the Chief of Police, you know."

I found that hard to believe. The last I heard, he was a starving rookie who got red carded for showing up to work with a little sour on his breath, one too many times.

"Who needs a police force in a town like this?" James snorted, toast bits flying all over me. I took a sip of my orange juice and spit it in his lap. It went unnoticed by every except Alice, who giggled and winked at me from across the room. I smiled, proud of myself for actually making a somewhat good impression on these people. Not that I really cared what they thought. I just didn't want this whole experience to be a completely miserable one. Miserable was something I had seen and experience once or twice before and I had initial plans to dance on back to it. But who the fuck knows? Plans change.

People change.

"I'm afraid our day is going to be rather boring," Esme told us. I then saw her swallow, visibly. "When exactly were you planning on leaving, James?"

He gave her best weak at the knees, charmer smile. "Whenever Bella tells me to."

That wasn't fair, I thought, irritated. He knew perfectly well I would never be able to tell him to go. But then again, James was all for testing my limits. Esme looked over at me, unabashedly. I stared at her until she turned away, a bit flustered. I wasn't going to let anybody here control me, or pressure me into anything. No way, no fucking how, sir.

"So, Bella," Alice said, cheerfully. She was far too wide awake for me to feel comfortable. And she was far too put together for me to feel anything but dirty next to her. She looked clean and sweet, in white shorts and a baby pink tank top. Honestly, how did she dress like that? It was, like, four below yesterday. I looked, well, nasty. My hair was a mess; I was in old flannel pajama pants that used to belong to James. "Has Mom given you the official tour yet?"

I shook my head. "No, we didn't have a lot of time yesterday. We got to bed pretty early."

"Early to bed, early to rise." Esme smiled, lovingly at her daughter, before taking her bowl to the sink. "In some cases."

Was that a not- so- subtle dig at my sleep schedule? Get used to it, princess. You invited me here, and you'll have to deal with me. Hopefully, I could appease Charlie and get out of here before Halloween. But for that to happen, I would have to be nice. I had a feeling my cheeks were going to hurt by the end of my time here, from all the fake smiling I was going to be doing.

"I'd love to show you around." Alice offered. "Oh, and I can't wait for you to meet everyone! This is going to be so much fun, just like having a never ending slumber party!"

"Yay." I muttered. I don't think she picked up on my subtle sarcasm, because she continued.

"You're room is next to Edward's though," She pouted. "And you definitely don't want to have a slumber party with him. Most all of the party would be between the sheets."

"Alice Cullen!" Esme scolded her. "You apologize right this instant!"

Cullen? Boy, did that name bring back some wonderful memories. I smiled, dizzily, to myself.

"To who?" Alice demanded, incredulously. I snickered, as did James and Emmett. "Edward isn't even here. God, Mother."

"Don't 'God, Mother', me." Esme warned her. "Go show Bella around like you promised. Emmett, come help me with these dishes."

"We have a dishwasher, you know." He grumbled. Esme gave him a typical Mom look and he shut right up. Alice hopped off the stool and I followed her out of the kitchen. James got up and I heard him walked out on the back patio, most likely to smoke a cigarette. God, that sounded good right now. James knew I smoked occasionally, and he was mostly cool with it. He told me he started smoking when he was thirteen and as long as I didn't do acid or anything, he was pretty cool about me sneaking a cig at a particularly rough hour.

"She's so embarrassing." Alice whined, as we made our way into the living room. "Is your Mom like that?"

It then occurred to me that they probably hadn't been filled on the extent of my Mother's mental state. I couldn't decide if I wanted to be grateful or angry. Angry, because then I would have to pretend everything was cool, when it really wasn't and grateful, because then they wouldn't look at me like I was a walking eggshell, waiting to be cracked. I took a deep breath as Alice waited patiently for my answer.

"I don't have a Mother." I finally spit out. She looked perplexed.

"But….." Something must have clicked for her, in that cutesy little brain, because she stopped short. "Okay. Well, this is the living room. But you probably already figured that out."

"I'm up to speed on the living room." I smiled at her, trying to make up for being such a freak of nature. She seemed to accept my silent apology. She led me past the foyer, pointing out a bathroom next to the staircase. We ended up in the dining room, and then in some sort of alcove. There was a grand piano sitting there, covered in dust. I knew that any second now, I would probably have some horrible flashback, but Alice standing there prevented it from happening. She looked seriously at it and then back at me.

"That's Edward's. Don't touch it, or he'll kill you." She warned me. "I'm not even kidding. I tried to play it once and he cut out a chunk of my hair while I was sleeping."

"Is that why your hair looks like that?" I couldn't stop myself from asking. I expected the water works to come, but instead, she laughed and shook her head.

"No, no." She giggled. "I just spend way too much time on my face and my clothes in the morning to have to worry about hair too. Less upkeep." She fluffed her bob, if you could even call it that, out a bit.

"I would feel like a man." The insults just kept flying out of my mouth. For some reason. I just wanted a reaction. I wanted her to get angry. But she didn't, she just stood there and took it with a smile on her face.

"Man or no man." She shrugged, leading me up the stairs. I was thrilled to be away from that stupid piano and I could promise that I was not getting near that thing. Ever. "My boyfriend likes it."

I raised an eyebrow when we reached the second floor. She looked dreamily at the ground, obviously dizzy with silly, teenage love. "Boyfriend, huh?"

She nodded, enthusiastically. "His name is Jasper."

"Jasper?" I repeated, terribly uninterested. I had my own cock problems to worry about. The biggest problem being the lack of cock. I got the girlfriend vibe from Emmett, so no luck there. Edward, though…Edward seemed to be right up my ally. Judging by the unfair characteristics Alice and Emmett had, there was no doubt in my mind that Edward was just as gorgeous as the rest of them. I vaguely wondered where the real baby daddy was, but I brushed it off. I almost kind of liked Alice. No need to make her feel weird and uncomfortable, seeing as how she may be my only friend in this house. As sweet as Emmett seemed, he was still a teenage boy, and I was not a teenage boy, fumble around in the bed of his truck kind of girl. I was grown in so many ways. I can't even begin to tell you how many married men I'd slept with, only these past few months. It wasn't pretty, it wasn't Disney, but it was the real world. It was my world. If Alice didn't seem so head over heels in love with this Jasper guy, I might take a stroll around that cock tower. But, obviously, there would be no such luck there.

"This is my room," She announced, proudly. It looked like her, I thought as we entered. It was painted blue and green, with…was that hot pink bedding? My, my, Alice Cullen. What an interesting interior design motive. She had a poster of Sweeney Todd hanging on the wall and I thought I would gag. Musicals, I thought, bitterly. The absolute bane of my existence. "Not a Todd fan?"

"Never seen it," I shrugged, leaning against the doorway, casually. Her mouth opened and I saw her eyes got to the flat screen hanging up on the wall. "And I have no desire to see it, thank you very much."

"Oh, we'll remedy that." She grinned, taking my hand and practically skipping down the hall. "That's the bathroom, that's Charlie and my mom's room…."

There was a door ajar at the end of the hallway and I pointed, curiosity getting the better of me. "And that?"

Alice's eyes formed narrow slits, as if she was thinking about something terribly complicated. "That's nothing. Just junk."

Well, well, well, I smirked to myself. It seemed as though the Cullen Clan had a few skeletons in their closet as well. Note to self: Creep around in the junk room later. I chose not to press the issue with Alice, because I didn't want to seem like I was particularly interested in the room, in case they decided to lock the door or something. I guarantee Esme carries around a fucking key ring, locking all the doors like this is Cinder-Fucking-Rella. It made me sick to my stomach, knowing I was going to be by myself in just a few short hours, but I sucked it up. I had made a promise to myself last night, after James fell asleep. I was going to make the absolute best of my stay here. Don't get me wrong, please, no. I have no desire to be here and I plan on getting seriously shitfaced every night until the day I turn eighteen, but I was going to make the best of it. I was looking at this as sort of a hiatus. A cooling off period. I'd been a 'glamorous' jet setting prodigy for the past nine years. Maybe a little down time in Sporks wouldn't be so bad. Let me clarify…a little down time in Sporks wouldn't be so bad with a bottle of Tequila and a freshly fucked pussy. And let me tell you, I planned on getting some action sooner rather than later.

Alice was giddy like a unicorn all day. It was disgusting. She kept going on and on about school and how glad she was to be a sophomore now. She told me horror stories about being a freshman at Forks High School. I acted like I could relate, when in reality, I had never stepped foot in a public high school. Ever. Not even when I was with….that woman. And I had to say, with all the money Esme seemed to have, I was wondering why little Alice was slumming it with all the small town hicks. They obviously belonged in L.A or New York City. Not Forks, Washington, population like, three hundred. God damn, it was like Stars Hollow, without the frothy, pie cooling on the porch rail charm. It wasn't until noon that James started to look at me funny. He went outside for a smoke, and I followed him, eager for some one on one time.

"What happened to Mr. I'll Stick around All Day?" I demanded, quietly. James shrugged as he lit up, letting me interpret my answer. "A shrug? I'm not going to see you for a motherfucking year and all I get is a shrug?"

He took a long drag from his cigarette. "Don't be dramatic."

My mouth fell open. "You did not seriously just say that to me."

He was looking at the sky. It was gray. Just like the smoke swirling from the end of his cigarette. "Did I stutter?

I crossed my arms over my chest and felt tears well up in my eyes. "If you think being an asshole is going to make me glad to see you go, then you don't fucking know me at all."

Smoke came out his nostrils. "I didn't think it would. But I gave it a shot."

I sat down on the ground, not caring about dirt or getting my ass soaked. I was suddenly just really, really tired. I felt a homesickness churning inside me, and I longed for our café in Paris and late nights spent giggling like twelve year old girls on the streets of London. I missed it all so much, already. "This isn't goodbye."

He looked down at me, curiously. Those familiar eyes were smoldering. "You're right, sweets. It's not."

My hair was sticking to my face. The mist made me damp, like I was sweating incessantly. "This is just see you later. Not goodbye. See you later."

"I'm glad to see you handling this." He nodded, gratefully. "You weren't exactly handling it before and now, well, now I'm just really proud of you, Bella. I'm really fucking proud of you. You know?"

That brought a tiny smile to my face. "Yeah, I know."

He was almost finished with his cig. "I need to leave, Bella."

My smile faltered. "Yeah, I know."

"I'm going to miss you." He told me, sincerely. "A helluva lot."

"Yeah, I know." I answered, without missing a beat.

He crushed his cig butt, gently. "You're being repetitive."

My lip twitched. "Yeah, I know."

"Fucking say that one more time, I swear." He warned me, grinning. "You're really beautiful, Bella. Have I ever told you that?"

I rolled my eyes. "Just go inside, you creep."

I heard a quiet chuckle and then the click of the French patio doors. I sat out there on the grass by myself, wondering what those lovely woods held. I wasn't much of an outdoor person these days, but there were times in my childhood that I remember late afternoon excursions in the desert. I even vaguely remember games of hide and seek in those stupid, lovely woods with Charlie and my little friends. They probably weren't so little anymore, I realized. Maybe that was another way to make the best of things. I could do a little reconnecting, redirecting, right? Delve back into a happier time period, where water didn't scare the shit out of me and I laughed when something was funny. Forks was still the work of the devil, but it was becoming more and more appealing. Almost like a really lame attempt at a vacation. The lame part was the fact that I was sharing the same air as Charlie and his beautifully judgmental wife. Alice, I could take. Emmett, I could take. This mysterious older man, I could take. Other people, other things, I couldn't take. I got up eventually when I sensed someone behind me.

Esme was standing in the rain, the door open behind her. Why didn't I hear the door open? And when did I start to rain? She looked at me with nothing but pity and I resented her for it. I stared at for a long moment, unblinking. Her eyes were a deep blue color. They held so many different things in them as she reached out for me and beckoned me inside.

"You'll catch your death out here, sweetheart." She told me, earnestly. "Come inside? I made oatmeal cookies. Charlie says they're your favorite."

"Yeah, when I was five." I mumbled, childishly. I stood up, shakily and followed her into the house. The gray sky and the rain left a blue tint on the stark white kitchen. To be perfectly honest, the entire house gave me the willies. It was just too perfect. It wasn't lived in. I liked lived in, like our apartments and hotel rooms.

Esme told me the cookies were just about done; we just had to wait for them to cool. I hadn't had an oatmeal cookie in, well, about twelve years. God, sometimes it's scary to think I could ever have been that young. Emmett was in the living room with a football game on low. I sat down on the couch, opposite of him and stared. His hair was really bothering me. It was black. It was curly, coming out of his head in perfect little ringlets, like a pageant partaking little girl. He obviously found my staring to be odd, because he muted the game and turned to look at me, expectantly.

"Can I help you?" He asked, patiently. I felt like a kindergartener.

"You play football." I stated. He raised one eyebrow.

"Did we not already establish that?" He asked, a bit confused. I shook my head.

"What position do you play?" I demanded, sitting up on my knees. He seemed amused.

"If I tell you, will you know what I'm talking about or will you just nod and pretend?" He fired back, laying one arm on the back of the couch. He was incredibly muscular. Not just average muscular, like oh, cool, you look like a Mega-Man wannabe, but like holy shit, you are one ripped motherfucker. I wanted to lick him all over. I grinned, mischievously. My sex drive instincts were kicking in and I wanted to stop them, I really did. My pussy seemed to have a mind of its own. I forced those feelings down because he was my step brother, and this could potentially be creepy.

"Not really." I admitted. "Do you wear pretty uniforms?"

He shook his head, sadly. "We're red and gold, honey muffin. Like a fucked up Christmas show."

My grin grew wider. "I bet that kills your girlfriend."

"Excuse me?" He asked, looking a bit suspicious.

"Well, she is a cheerleader, isn't she?" I asked, innocently batting my eyelashes. He looked perplexed.

"Do you have a back room with pictures of me glued to the walls somewhere? How did you know that?" He asked, putting his fist under his chin. He looked so cute, just like a curious little boy.

I shrugged. "It's just so stereotypical. You're the quarterback, she's a cheerleader. I bet you're going to ask her to prom, go to the same college, get married and make an honest woman out of her. And eventually she'll have your blue eyed babies with dimples the size of craters. Am I right?"

"No, actually, I plan on gang banging her in the bathroom with the rest of the football team on prom night and then giving her a happy meal toy for being such a good sport." He winked at me.

"Sounds like a good time." I snorted. "Need to borrow my video camera?"

"Good audio?" He asked, trying to look serious. "Seriously, I'm going to have to hear her crying to actually get off."

"What a freak." I muttered as Esme came into the living room with a plate full of cookies. She set them down on the coffee table and gave me a wide, seemingly genuine smile.

"Whole milk or fat free?" She asked, sweetly. I blinked.

"Whole." I told her, surprised. "Fat free tastes like shit."

The language seemed to be what bothered her the most. She cringed, but poured me a glass of whole milk anyway. I thanked her, quietly as Emmett turned the game back on. He glanced over at me, grinning.

"Let's do this again sometime." He said, nonchalantly. I grabbed the plate of cookies in one hand and my milk in the other, before going upstairs to check on James. I swallowed the lump already forming in my throat. Think about something else in your throat, Bella. C'mon. Think of anything to make yourself forget he's leaving you.

He was sitting on the bed staring at a picture frame. When he saw me in the doorway, he tucked the picture frame safely in the duffel bag he brought inside with him. I set the plate of cookies down on the bed in between us and sat down, gingerly. He looked subdued. I felt like wrapping my legs around his and begging him not to go. "You look tired."

"I am tired." He said, softly, before picking up a cookie and snorting. "Oatmeal?"

"Charlie told her they were my favorite." I practically whispered.

He set his cookie back down and stared at me. I refused to look at him, for fear I would burst into tears. Finally, after a good while, he sighed. "Let's get down there."

It was only three o'clock by now. He had a flight at SeaTac in four hours and it would take two just to get up there. Another to check in and go through baggage claim. I knew this and yet I wanted so badly to make him late, so he would miss the flight and stay with me just one more night. But I didn't. Because I knew this had to be done and it was only going to be harder tomorrow. Geez, when did I get so wise? That insightful conversation with Emmett probably enlightened me, I thought, humorously. There was a commotion in the foyer, we realized as we made our way down the stairs. We could only see the tops of their heads, coming down, and I saw a flash of wild bronze hair next to Alice's spikes. She was bouncing up and down and Esme had the man in her arms. He was obviously her eldest son and I groaned, knowing they were all going to see me get emotional with James. Fuck. I was hoping we'd be alone for that.

"Oh, Bella!" Esme seemed thrilled. "This is my son, Edward. Edward, this is Charlie's little girl, Bella."

I grimaced at the term little girl. James thought it was pretty funny though, which made me snicker at the way he snickered. He set his duffel down on the ground next to the door and looked pointedly at Esme, before something clicked in her head.

"James, are you leaving?" She didn't seem all that unhappy. "We hardly got a chance to speak."

"Thanksgiving." He reassured her, smiling, before turning to the man. Man being a relative term. Sex God was a much better fit. He was fucking gorgeous. My pussy practically pulled down my pants t get a peek for itself. "I'm James, I'm Bella's uncle."

"Pleasure to meet you." His voice was rough and delightful. He shook his hand, in a very manly fashion. It was more fun to watch than it should have been. "And a pleasure to meet you also, Bella. I look forward to spending some time with you this summer."

I voice my thoughts, not really caring if I sounded like a bit of a floozy.

"So formal." I cooed. "Trust me, Edward; we're going to be spending a lot of time together this summer."

Esme cleared her throat as he threw me a crooked smirk. His eyes were so fucking green. He had stubble covering his chin and I wanted to rub my cheek against it. "It's still such a shame you have to leave so soon, James. Charlie would've liked to speak with you."

"He has my number." James regarded her coolly. I loved him for it. He turned to me, sadly. "So, this is it."

I turned to stare at everyone, before my eyes started to water. "Can we have a minute?"

Esme ushered everyone out of the room. James stared at the ground for a long time, before finally looking up with great determination. "You're going to like it here."

I shook my head. "I don't like anything about this place, James. And I never, ever will."

He looked knowing. "Never say never, sweets."

_Sweets. _Who was going to call me that after he was gone?

"Call me everyday." I instructed him. "Text me. Send me pictures. Anything and everything."

"Only if you promise to connect with your Dad a little while you're here." I groaned at that. "I'm serious, Bella. I want this to be helpful for you."

I grumbled. "Fine. But don't expect me to enjoy it."

He weakly smiled. "Make some friends. Have some fun."

I sniffled. Here come the water works. "So, is this see you later?"

"See you later, sweets." He murmured, leaning in to kiss me on the forehead. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him close to me. "I love you so fucking much."

"Back at you," I whispered. "Dad."

His arms tightened significantly at the word. "You really are my everything, sweets. Never forget that. "

"I won't." I vowed.

He let go of me and picked up the bag off the ground. He opened the front door and looked at the rain before looking back at me with a glint in his eye. "And Bella?"

"Yeah?" I croaked.

"Get some."

And with a wink, he shut the door and disappeared.

* * *

**Wow. Long chapter. Hope you enjoy. If you're wondering, here are the ages:**

**Bella, nearly 17.**

**James, 27.**

**Edward, 20.**

**Emmett, 18.**

**Alice, 15.**

**Charlie, 35.**

**Review? :)**


	4. Just a Dash of Teenage Angst

I'm not sure how long I stood there, just staring at that door, but I knew it was awhile. Periodically, Alice would walk causally by to look in on me and probably see if I was crying. But I wasn't. I was thinking. Everything was going to change. Absolutely everything. I wasn't on home ground, I was in enemy territory. This was not how things were supposed to happen. It made me angrier and angrier to think about. I just really wasn't sure how I actually felt about the situation.

It was Charlie's arrival that moved me. I hadn't realized it was so late and I must have looked like a lunatic just sitting on the floor, staring at nothing. When the front door opened, I silently wished it would be James with a ripped up plane ticket and a realization that this was stupid. But, alas, it was only Charlie, who hung up his gun belt and watched me with cautious eyes as I stood up. He looked older, I realized. He looked so different. His hair was long, in my memories and he had a certain gleam in his eye when ever that woman and I came around. He had a scraggly goatee, but now it was graying around the edges. His hair was shorter, but still identifiably shaggy and dark. I wrapped my arms around myself for comfort.

"Hey, Bella." He finally greeted me. "How was your day?"

I met his eyes. They were that deep brown, just like mine. It then occurred to me that his weren't like mine. He wasn't like me. I was like him. "Awful. And you?"

"Dull." He responded, running a hand through his hair. "Where's James?"

My eyes found the floor again. "He left. Four hours ago."

There was a pause. "And you've been sitting here ever since?"

I nodded. I saw his feet moving towards me and I felt him nervously touch my shoulder. His eyes held anxiety and concern. "It's going to be alright, Bella. Everything is going to be okay."

"You don't know that." I whispered. I immediately straightened up after the words left my mouth. "I'm going upstairs."

I bolted up the stairs, but slowed considerably when I got to the third floor. The hallway was dark, as it was last night and earlier today. It must be the lighting, I thought fleetingly. There was some rustling in the room down the hall, and I assumed it was Edward getting his things put away. There was a note taped to my door and I recognized the handwriting before I took it off.

_Sweets,_

_I miss you already and I'm not even out of the house. I'll be in Spain for the remainder of the summer, so call Carmen if you really need to get a hold of me. I love you to pieces. You're the best niece in the world, cupcake._

_Love,_

_James. _

_P.S. Check your closet. It might cheer you up._

I flung the door open and ran to the closet, wasting no time in opening the door. On the ground, under my clothes, was a plain cardboard box, taped together with masking tape. I lifted it up, surprised at how heavy it was and brought it over to the bed, which was just warm enough to make me feel comforted. I tore the box open, and peered inside, excitedly. It was pictures. Tons of pictures, all framed beautifully, so I could decorate my walls with them. I was about to lay them all about to decide which was going where, when there was a knock on my doorframe. I looked up and found Edward standing there, smiling at me. He looked arrogant as anything.

"Well, hello there." He said, smoothly. I leaned back on my pillows. "I don't believe we had a proper introduction."

"Oh?" I played along. "Well, surely we must rectify that."

He smirked. "I'm Edward Cullen; it's wonderful to make your acquaintance."

I returned his playful expression. "I'm Isabella Swan. And I have to say, Mr. Cullen, that I hope we will become much more than acquaintances."

"That makes two of us." He agreed, crossing his arms and leaning against the threshold. "I hear you're not too thrilled to be here."

"Whoever told you that?" I asked, sarcastically. "Let's just say, yes, I'm less than thrilled."

"And why is that?" Edward demanded, not moving from his spot. "I, in fact, am completely enthralled at the thought of spending my summer vacation in Forks, with my mother."

"Oh, I'm sure." I said, innocently. "Well, let's see. Slumming it in Forks with my absent father that I speak with twice a year, or spending the summer in Spain with people who have actual personalities? I'll let you decide."

"Forks, naturally." He grinned. "It's a no-brainer."

"Everyone in this town is a no-brainer." I sneered. "They're all small minded, small town hicks with nothing better to do but judge the few who have the guts to get out and experience life."

He raised an eyebrow. "That's quite a lot of hate brewing inside you, Miss Isabella. It sounds as if you've been spoon fed those words."

"Are you insinuating I have no mind of my own?" I demanded. He chuckled.

"That's not it at all." He assured me. "For what it's worth, I'm quite delighted you're here."

"Why, thank you." I pretended to be flattered. "I'm going to go out on a limb and assume you and Charlie don't have a special Father/Son relationship, do you?

"We would," He started, carefully. "But I'm not his son. I have my own father, thank you."

"You're lucky." I said, dryly, peering down at my pictures. "Charlie wasn't meant to be a parent."

"If he didn't want you here, I'm positive he wouldn't have invited you." He snorted, standing up straight. "I smell dinner, if you're hungry."

I rolled off the bed and followed him down to the dining room, where Alice, Charlie and Emmett were already seated. Edward pulled my chair out for me and I sat down, forcing myself to remain unimpressed. So, he pulled my chair out for me. Big deal. Before he seated himself, he called into the kitchen.

"Do you need any help, Mom?" He asked, politely. Charlie and Emmett both scoffed. Alice rolled her eyes. I was seated across from Edward and Emmett, but I was sitting next to Alice, who bounced in her seat, like a small child, waiting for the food.

"Oh, please," Charlie snorted. "I offered to help her three times already. She just won't accept it."

Esme voice grew closer to us. "I don't need help; I've got it all under control."

She carried in a dish that held homemade macaroni and cheese. I haven't had that in years. My grandmother used to make it, since that woman couldn't make toast without setting the house on fire.

My God. I should probably call grandma sometime, I realized, as Esme came back out with a bunch of other shit. I piled my plate with macaroni, not caring if I looked like a pig. I wanted that and only that. Edward looked amused, while Emmett just looked startled. Alice gagged next to me.

"You're going to eat all that?" She asked, wrinkling her nose. I gave her a dubious look.

"I had planned to eat the food, yes." I said, shoving a forkful into my mouth. She gagged again. "Just eat your salad, twiggy."

"This is wonderful, Mom." Emmett said as Esme made her own plate at the other end of the table. She grinned.

"Thank you, sweetie." She responded, happily. "So, how was everyone's day? Charlie, how was work?"

"Dull," I answered for him, before mumbling, "Just like this town."

Alice giggled beside me. I'm glad someone found me funny.

"My day was great, Mom." Emmett answered. "Thanks for asking."

Edward coughed. "Kiss up."

"You're just jealous I'm prettier than you." Emmett snickered. "I mean, c'mon, Bella. Who got the looks?"

"Um," I pretended to think about it. "Alice?"

"Yay!" She chirped, taking a dainty bite of her dinner. "Thanks, Bella. You're pretty too."

"Hey!" Emmett protested. "I'm pretty! I have the Facebook comments to prove it!"

"No fighting at the dinner table." Esme warned them, jokingly. "Bella?"

"Hmm?" I responded, my mouth full of food. I swallowed, hard.

"I was thinking that since you're new to the town, you could spend some time with Alice, Emmett and their friends tomorrow." Esme suggested. "Maybe get to know some of them."

I took another bite. "I'm pretty sure I went to pre-school with most of them."

"You're from Forks?" Alice seemed confused. "I thought you were new here."

"Well, Alice," I took a deep breath. "Think about it. Charlie is from Forks. Charlie is my biological father, and he has never left Forks, as far as I know. It would be kind of difficult for him to knock someone up in another town. Therefore, yes, I am from Forks."

"You don't look like you're from Forks." Edward commented. "Is what I'm sure Alice meant."

"Where do I look like I'm from, then, Mr. Cullen?" I batted my eyelashes at him, ridiculously. He chuckled, quietly.

"Well, the tan, the attitude, the big mouth…its Texas, without a doubt. Or any other southern state." He shrugged, nonchalantly. Emmett guffawed.

"That's so racist!" He bellowed. Edward rolled his eyes.

"You have no idea what you're talking about." Edward murmured, continuing to eat his food. Alice pouted.

"My Jaz is from Texas," She informed him, weakly. "Are you saying he's a big mouth?"

Edward's shoulder stiffened. "Well, I've never met 'your Jaz' so I don't know. I will be meeting him very, very soon though, let me assure you."

Alice scoffed. "Don't pull that protective big brother crap on me, Edward."

Charlie changed the subject. "This is delicious, Esme. As per usual."

Every time he spoke to Esme with love and devotion, I replayed all the times he spoke to that woman with rage and disgust.

_You stupid bitch! I could kill you. I could fucking kill you…._

"Thank you, darling." Esme said, a faint blush on her cheeks. "Who's up for a family movie night? Sort of a celebration?"

"I'm in." Charlie grinned at her from across the table.

_Don't you lie to me. You're screwing him; I know you're screwing him…._

"Hell yes!" Emmett cheered. "Only if I get to sit next to Mom."

"You can sit next to Mom," Edward smirked. "But I get to sit next to Bella."

I winked at him. It didn't go unnoticed by Alice. "Oh no, no, no. I get to sit next to Bella."

I said the first thing that came to mind. "Don't be a cock block, Alice."

Esme gasped. Emmett burst out laughing. "Ha! She is, she really, really is!"

"I am no such thing." Alice argued.

"You're right." Emmett said, still chuckling. "You're a cock tease. That's probably why I haven't seen Jasper around for a few weeks."

"Emmett Cullen!" Esme admonished him. "That is so _rude_."

"Yeah, Emmett Cullen," Edward muttered, giggling like a little boy who got his brother in trouble. "Rude."

"And you!" Esme snapped back to look at me. My face turned to stone at her aggressive demeanor. Her eyes immediately softened when she saw the change. "I'm sorry. Bella….could you please refrain from using words like that at the dinner table? Especially in regards to someone else."

"Why, of course, Esme." I said, standing up. "I wouldn't want to ruin the illusion of a perfect family. I think I'll skip movie night if that's cool with you. Kay? Kay."

The halls upstairs were dark and I wandered through them, looking for Alice's room. I planned on stealing something to keep me occupied for the remainder of the night, until it was safe to come out of my room. I thought I found the right room, but when I flicked on the light, I was in another world entirely. I was in Esme and Charlie's room.

It was odd being in here. It smelled like sandalwood and I spotted the air freshener next to the bed quickly. I walked slowly in, the carpet feeling amazing on my bare feet. The walls were painted green, a calm, cooling green that made you want to sit in the fucking corner and do yoga. I walked to the bed, not really sure what I wanted to do, but I always curled up in James' bed in desperate times. I'd always wondered what it would feel like to crawl into my father's bed. Would I feel safe and secure? Would I feel warmth, in the knowledge that I had a Daddy who loved me? I froze when I saw the picture on his bedside table. My breathing was shallow.

No.

She was so happy. We were all so fucking happy. It was the three of us, in the backyard of the home I expected to find when I came here. She had planted flowers, so many flowers. It was spring and I was four years old. The memory unfolded, causing me to shudder, violently.

"_Barbeque time." James announced, setting a plate of burgers on the picnic table in our backyard. Momma was sitting on her knees at her garden, tending to the new flowers. I looked over her shoulder, trying to see what she was doing that made them grow to be so beautiful. She felt my tiny breath on her neck and turned around, smiling softly at me._

"_Being nosey again, huh?" She laughed, pulling me into her lap, causing me to fall into a fit of giggles. She started to tickle me, mercilessly. Daddy came out the back door with two bottles of beer and two bottles of water. _

"_Daddy, save me!" I squealed, flailing around in my fake attempts to get away from her. He laughed, setting the bottles down on the picnic table, before running over and scooping me out of her arms. _

"_I've got you." He assured me, chuckling. "What have been doing to my princess?"_

_Momma cocked her head to the side, grinning. Her teeth were just so white. "You're little princess was being a nosey little bug."_

_He pretended to gasp. I heard James laugh and crack open a bottle of beer behind us. "My princess? Nosey? Well, in that case!"_

_He handed me back to Momma, who continued her antics. Laughter peeled from me and tears leaked from my eyes as her fingers roamed all over my stomach. "Daddy!"_

"_Daddy can't save you now!" Momma giggled. "Daddy's come to the dark side."_

_Daddy collapsed on to the grass next to us and kissed Momma on the cheek. She stopped tickling me then, to turn and kiss him chastely on the lips. I sat up in her lap and Daddy touched my nose with his fingertip. James said something behind us. _

"_Smile, guys." He instructed, pulling out a plastic disposable camera. Daddy had his arm around Momma, but kept his finger on my nose. I was still giggling, and Momma gave her biggest, whitest, prettiest smile. She had me in her arms. "God, you guys make a perfect family."_

I knocked the photo to the ground. He kept this. He kept it on his bedside table. That was just so sick. He had a wife now. He had a new wife, a new life and three new kids. He didn't need this picture. I stepped on the frame, _hard_, and shook with anger. I heard it crack under my weight and I kicked it under the bed. Little shards of glass decorated the carpet. I prayed for him to step on them when he got in bed tonight.

But, then again, I prayed for a lot of things.

Things that never happened.

* * *

**Well, isn't Bella just a big ball of angst? Review. It makes my day just a tiny bit brighter.**


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